Cricket reforms give India, England and Australia greater say

Updated
January 29, 2014 13:51:00

Cricket's global bosses have given India, England and Australia more say at the expense of smaller nations. Some critics say the reforms will lead to greater inequity which will be bad for the game. India creates plenty of the game's wealth but the global cricketer's union says the rest of the world has given in to Indian bullying.

Cricket's global bosses have agreed to a new power structure, with the three biggest cricketing nations the big winners.

But critics say others will now lose revenue.

Tom Nightingale reports.

(Sound of crowd cheering)

CRICKET COMMENTATOR: This crowd will love it, just have a listen,

TOM NIGHTINGALE: He's acknowledged as one of the game's greatest players and Sachin Tendulkar's final Test match was certainly one to remember.

And while India is normally mad for cricket, last November it went up another level.

CRICKET COMMENTATOR: Look at him, thank you for the memories Sachin, we will miss you. I dare say there are lots of wet eyes at the moment.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: The action wasn't just on the field.

Behind the scenes, there was an internal power struggle that said plenty about the game and international politics.

ABC cricket commentator, Jim Maxwell, says India pulled out of matches against the world's top ranked team, South Africa. It did so to ensure Tendulkar's farewell could be played at home.

JIM MAXWELL: They just dumped the series, which is all very well in terms of their self interest, but as far as the game was concerned it was a huge disappointment because India and South Africa were two of the two teams.

So this is the issue as we go on, how much is Indian self interest in particular, apart from that of England and Australia, going to influence the governance of the game? and it looks like it's going to be considerable.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: By some counts, India creates 80 per cent of the world's cricket revenue, which drives the global game.

Now the International Cricket Council has agreed to give India and Australia and England an even bigger say.

Critics say it's all about money and not the good of the game.

PAUL MARSH: As far as we can see there's a significant amount of additional money going to the big three boards, and the others are basically fighting over the scraps. It's a significant change to the way the world cricket's being run.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: Paul Marsh is the head of the Australian and the international player's unions.

He says the cricketing world has been forced to do what India wants.

PAUL MARSH: And I think that's been going on for quite a long time, this is probably the most brazen position they've taken.

It's hard to know what is worse, the bully or those that have allowed themselves to be bullied.

In this situation you've got I guess one significant board, and there's no doubt that that's where the money comes from in cricket.

You've also got then the other 94 members who continue to allow it happen and, as I said, I'm not sure which one's worse.

TOM NIGHTINGALE: The union may be against it but the players are less definite.

The Australian captain, Michael Clarke, was asked about it today, before flying out to South Africa.

MICHAEL CLARK: I don't really want to get into it until things get finalised or until I know a lot more, as in where, you know, what decisions are being made.

Like I say I'm confident that whoever's going to make these key decisions will have the best interests of the game at heart and that's the most important thing in my eyes.